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Monday, November 26, 2012

If you are looking for a great last minute Daddy gift for a new dad, I highly recommend the Daddy Diaper Pack! We were able to try out the Daddy Diaper Pack from Daddy Scrubs both at the pumpkin patch and while on our recent trip to visit my dad over Thanksgiving. The first thing I have to say is that I LOVE all the pockets. (Yes, *I* do. lol.) Even though this is designed for "Daddy" it would be very handy for Mom as well. As you can see, it is large but no larger than any other backpack (or diaper bag for that matter) that I have seen. Hubby is a big guy and this fit him pretty well. The chest clip had to go up high instead of being worn around the widest part of the chest (above) but that is precisely why the strap moves!

In the next pic you can see that Hubby tied a bag of kettle corn to the extra strap across the back. That made it super handy.

There are also side pockets that are great for water bottles and other small items. In the pics below, I used the side pockets to store the cords for Fuss's DVD player for the car to make them easily accessible.

The chest strap is fully adjustable in 2 ways.
1. It has a pull-tight strap so you can adjust from big guys (like my hubby) to small guys (or gals)!
2.
As you can see from these 2 photos, the chest strap also moves up and
down about 6" to slide to a comfortable position on the chest.

These clips are extremely durable and very easy to snap/unsnap in a hurry. They are also easy to adjust from one size to the other.

There was a slight manufacturer defect in the bag that I received...One of the zipper pulls was on backwards. This did NOT affect function at all and isn't really even noticeable if you don't like to use the double-sided zippers. I'm anal and like to have the zippers meet in the top on the middle, but again, only a minor annoyance. Plus, when I contacted Daddy Nickell about this, he offered to send me another pack! Service through them is VERY fast and the customer interaction and speed of response is A+!

Below, you can see a few other features of the pack that can be really helpful (be sure to scroll to the bottom to see all the pictures of what we managed to pack in this bag for a toddler on a 9-hour car trip):

A key clip. It doesn't detach, but it is nice for those extra keys.

Front pocket with a mesh pocket, 3 pen/pencil holders, 2 mid-size pockets for things like tissues or pacifiers, and a large back pocket for things like wipes or batteries.

A fleece-lined pocket that is perfect for carrying sunglasses (or a cell phone).

A pocket at the VERY front (with the I'm the Daddy logo) that is actually insulated for bottles!

Plus 2 elasticized straps at the top and bottom to strap things down to the bag or strap the bag to a stroller.

The lining is super easy to clean. Fuss's juice bottles spilled inside the insulated pocket and it didn't leak all over the inside (it had a very minor leak at the seam, but it wasn't much). I just used paper towels to wipe it out and it was good to go! The interior of the large pocket is just as easy to clean with a damp paper towel as well.

Here we have a change of clothes plus a wet bag for soiled items.

Here you see the DVD player, boogie wipes, several DVD's wipes and photos.

***Disclaimer: I received the item above in exchange for this honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own. I have received no other compensation for this review.

I, sadly, have to step away from blogging for a bit to focus on my own health. I am currently in a splint for my broken ring finger and I (finally) haven an appointment set up with the surgeon for December 7. I am hoping I won't need surgery, but we shall see. I have a review to post for an awesome holiday gift for a new dad or dad-to-be and I have a guest post lined up as well.

Enjoy the Mania! I will update when I can and I hope to be back to "normal" soon!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Sharing a great deal from Daddy Scrubs for CyberMonday!! Daddy Nickell sent this out for all my fans!

Hi! I wanted to let you know that DaddyScrubs is running an incredible deal for Cyber Monday! We are hoping that you will include the attached ad on your blog or social media to help us promote this incredible opportunity to buy DaddyScrubs.

What is this deal?? Customers can get 50% off on Khaki and Green simple and edgy style DaddyScrubs!

When is this amazing deal happening? The deal beings at 8am Monday November 26th (CyberMonday), and goes until 8am Wednesday November 28th PST. That is 48 whole hours of half off scrubs!

Customers simply need to enter CYBERMONDAY into the coupon code spot at checkout and voila! 50% off on their scrubs!

Monday, November 19, 2012

This is going to be a short post. I have a pretty severe hand injury this week and am returning to the doctor for the second time after Beast literally dragged me across the street, sending me airborne. I definitely dislocated the ring finger of my left hand and, although it popped back in, I may still have some soft tissue damage to deal with. Hoping to be back to normal soon.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

So, I know I don't talk about religion...and I'm really not going to today either, but as this week has come to a rather abrupt conclusion I will write about my Great-Grandfather. We lost my Great-Grandmother in February of 2009, the year I got pregnant for Fuss. I feel that she has been around to watch her great-great-granddaughter grow into the spunky little girl that she is (and probably had a hand in that spunk as well!). This week, my Great-Grandfather had a massive heart attack and was placed in the hospital. We didn't expect him to make it to the weekend, but he did. I visited him the same day the doctor had told my uncle and cousin that he wasn't going to last long. From being paralyzed and not able to speak, he had an entire afternoon of intermittent moments of lucidity. He spoke with his granddaughters and his great-granddaughters. For me, it was surreal. I have never been close to him like the other grandchildren were/are. It is a very long story and one I won't get into as it's not my story to tell. However, as I was getting ready to leave his room, he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him, squeezing tight. Poppy (as we called him) refused to let me go. So I stayed a little longer. I had errands to run, but they weren't important right then. He was. He looked at me and smiled. He squeezed my fingers. Then he said, unprompted, "I love you." He had never done that with me. Ever. I am so blessed to have had that one moment with him and to know that in his last hours, he was able to tell me he loved me. A few hours later, Poppy took a turn for the worse and was placed on comfort measures. He passed away Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

I am very glad to have gotten to know him better in the last few years, but even more glad that Fuss was able to know her Great-Great-Grandfather. Not too many people can say that. She may not remember him fully, but his love for her will last in her heart. I know now that he is walking with my Great-Grandmother alongside a river just like the one they chose to build their retirement cabin on. My Fuss now has another Ancestor to watch over her as she continues to grow and mature.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Well, I'm running late today! lol. I had work earlier today and then I had to take Fuss to the doctor because her "ears hurt". She has an infection in her right ear. I am hoping she starts getting better quickly and doesn't do what the doctor thinks is going to happen (ie. cold with runny nose, cough, sneezing).

I also went out for my *second* birthday dinner with my family tonight. My mom, stepdad, uncle, aunt, 2 cousins, sister, and future BIL were all there. The only person missing was my Hubby because he had to work. At least I got to celebrate with him though on Thursday. :)

I have managed to get Fuss's Christmas present shopping finished thanks to Toys R Us layaway. I also have Little Man's shopping done, but I found a deal I might not be able to pass up for a game for him. I have a few other things here and there, but no one else is finished. Guess we can see who the important people are, huh? Fuss has started asking for different things, so we finally started telling her she would have to ask Santa. Now, everything she sees, she goes "Can I ask Santa for that?" Ahhh the innocence of youth!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Here we are. I am on the final hours of my 29th year. As of 7:10 a.m. (at least I think that's what my birth record said...I really need to look it up again) I will be 30. In honor of this monumental birthday, I would like to share with you what made my 20s so great.

2002: 2 weeks before my 20th birthday, I went out on my first date with my Hubby. We were kicked out of Eat 'n' Park (who is supposedly open 24 hours) at 4 a.m. after going out for dessert. They wanted to set up the breakfast bar and wouldn't let us stay.

2003: Hubby and I moved from the apartment we shared with a friend of mine into a small rental house. I am not kidding when I say small. This place was literally 300 square feet. The kitchen was a hallway and we had a bathroom that you could sit on the toilet and reach across to turn on the sink! But it was "ours" and we lived there for 2 years.

2004: We were engaged in September. :)

2005: Married in May and then bought our current home in December. We loved the yard and the neighborhood and have really enjoyed our starter house.

2007: We bought 2 things. Beast and Hubby's motorcycle. (Some days I'm not sure which was the better investment...lol)

2008: 3 years into our married life, we had a surprise pregnancy. I had come off the Depo-Provera shot and was pregnant less than 6 months later. Unfortunately, a week after finding out, I had my first miscarriage. We were devastated. But since we had gotten over the initial shock and the "Oh my God! What are we going to do!?" phase, we decided to start trying to conceive after my doctor cleared me.

2009: After nearly a year, 2 rounds of Clomid, and a "break" from TTC, we got pregnant for our Fuss.

2010: Fuss was born 2 weeks before our 5th anniversary! She was due 2 weeks after, but she decided it was too long to wait. That started the crazy, wonderful life that we currently live.2012: We decided to try for #2, and to my surprise, we ended up pregnant after only 2 months off birth control. Sadly, this one was not meant to be and we miscarried October 23. I am hoping that we can have a successful pregnancy soon, but for now I am counting my blessings of having a wonderful, healthy, and (mostly) happy family!

Despite the ups-and-downs we have endured, I have to say that my 20s were fabulous and I am really looking forward to the next decade of my life with my Hubby and Fuss. It's been quite a ride so far!!